Nintendo opens first brick-and-mortar store in Tokyo

Goods of Nintendo game character Mario are displayed at a new Nintendo store during a press preview in Tokyo. Set in a refashioned department store on one floor just minutes from the famed "scramble crossing" in Shibuya district, the giant retail space also includes shops selling merchandise from some of the biggest names in gaming including Capcom and Pokemon.

A man wearing a costume of Nintendo game character Mario poses next to merchandise displayed. Nintendo's outlet is the game giant's first directly operated in Japan, and only its second worldwide following a similar New York shop.

Half its stock will be available exclusively at the store, with the 1,000 items on sale ranging from game hardware and software to clothing, mugs and stationery branded with Mario, Zelda and other characters from the firm's hit game titles.

On the same floor are several shops offering goods by other big-name gaming brands, in what officials hope will become a major draw for tourists and local fans of Japanese games and comics.

Nintendo has had enormous success with its Switch console, and unveiled the pocket-sized Switch Lite earlier this year.

It has also seen brisk demand for its games, with this year's releases "Super Mario Maker 2", "The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening" and "Fire Emblem: Three Houses" all becoming multimillion-unit sellers.

Nintendo's game character items and goods are displayed.

Nintendo's game character items and good are displayed at Nintendo Tokyo.

The logo of the Nintendo is displayed at Nintendo Tokyo.

Goods of Nintendo's game character Super Mario are displayed at Nintendo Tokyo.